Kelly Groucutt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kelly Groucutt
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Kelly Groucutt in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael William Groucutt |
| Born | 8 September 1945 Coseley, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 19 February 2009 (aged 63) Worcester, Worcestershire, England |
| Genres | Pop, rock, rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1960–2009 |
| Labels | Jet, RCA |
| Associated acts | Electric Light Orchestra, OrKestra, ELO Part II, The Orchestra |
Kelly Groucutt (born Michael William Groucutt; 8 September 1945 – 19 February 2009) was an English musician. He was best known as the bassist and a singer for the famous rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). He was a member of ELO from 1974 to 1982.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Kelly Groucutt was born in Coseley, England. He started his music journey at age 15. Back then, he was known as Rikki Storm in the band Rikki Storm and the Falcons.
During the 1960s, he sang with many different groups. He also learned to play the guitar. Kelly was part of bands called "Sight and Sound" and later "Barefoot."
Joining Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
While playing with Barefoot in Birmingham, Kelly was noticed by Jeff Lynne. Jeff Lynne is the leader of ELO. After Jeff, Bev Bevan, and Richard Tandy watched him play, they asked him to join ELO. He joined to replace their previous bassist, Mike de Albuquerque.
When he joined, he was asked to pick a stage name. This was because ELO already had several members named Michael or Mike. He chose "Kelly," which was a nickname from school.
Kelly's Role in ELO
Kelly Groucutt's first album with ELO was Face the Music (1975). He played bass guitar and sang backing vocals. Sometimes, he even sang lead vocals on one or two songs.
You can hear his voice on ELO songs like "Nightrider" (1975) and "The Diary of Horace Wimp" (1979). When ELO performed live, Kelly often showed off his amazing operatic singing during the song "Rockaria!" (1976).
Kelly continued to contribute to many popular ELO albums. These included A New World Record (1976), Out of the Blue (1977), and Discovery (1979). He also played on Xanadu (1980) and Time (1981).
Solo Work and Leaving ELO
In 1982, Kelly released his own album called Kelly. Other ELO members like Bev Bevan, Richard Tandy, and Mik Kaminski helped him with this album.
Kelly stayed with ELO until 1982. He then left the band because he was unhappy about how much he was paid. He decided to take legal action against the band's management and Jeff Lynne. They reached an agreement outside of court. Kelly later said he regretted suing Jeff Lynne. He is still credited for playing bass on some songs from the 1983 album Secret Messages.
After leaving ELO, Kelly focused on his solo music. In 1985, he released an EP (a short album) called We Love Animals. This was to help the RSPCA, an animal charity. One song from this EP, "The Fox," was later used for the ELO Part II album Moment of Truth.
Kelly Groucutt used several different bass guitars during his time in ELO. These included a Gibson G3 bass and a Fender Precision Bass.
OrKestra
In the late 1980s, Kelly Groucutt and his former ELO bandmate Mik Kaminski started a new group called OrKestra. They were not happy with how their first album, Beyond The Dream, was promoted. The album was delayed and not released until 1991.
By 1991, Kelly and Mik, along with another ELO member Hugh McDowell, had joined a tour with ELO Part II. In 1992, both Kelly and Mik officially became members of ELO Part II.
In 1993, OrKestra released their second album, Roll Over Beethoven.
ELO Part II and The Orchestra
Kelly Groucutt first joined ELO Part II as a guest musician in 1991. He became a full-time member in 1992. He often shared lead singing duties with other band members.
For the ELO Part II album Moment of Truth, Kelly wrote the song "The Fox." He also helped write "Blue Violin" and "Twist of the Knife." Kelly also appeared on live albums with the group.
Even though he was mainly the bassist, Kelly would sometimes play guitar during live shows.
In 1999, the original ELO drummer, Bev Bevan, sold his rights to ELO back to Jeff Lynne. Kelly Groucutt decided to stay with the group. They changed their name to The Orchestra. This was because Jeff Lynne did not want them to use the ELO name. Kelly continued to write songs for The Orchestra. He co-wrote and sang lead vocals on the song "Before We Go" from their album No Rewind.
Personal Life
Kelly Groucutt was married twice. In 2006, he married Anna-Maria Bialaga. They were married until he passed away.
Death
On 18 February 2009, Kelly Groucutt returned home after a successful show with The Orchestra in Berlin. Shortly after, he suffered a heart attack. He passed away on 19 February at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester. His family held a special concert with members from The Orchestra to remember him.
Later, his family raised money to place a plaque at his childhood home. This plaque honors Kelly Groucutt's memory.
